Published: March 11, 2008 10:18 am            

The Joy of Painting

93-year-old Mabel Taylor continues to paint, sell art

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Editor's note: read the children's story of Mabel's lizard at the end of this article.

About 10 years ago, a small, green lizard crept into Mabel Taylor’s life. Or more specifically, her living room.

It stayed there throughout the winter of 1997, and inspired the Corbin woman to write a short story and paint a series of pictures of the little reptile’s experience — one of many pictures she has painted through the years.

At 93 years old, Mabel is still telling stories and painting pictures.

“My daddy was an artist,” Mabel said. “I was growing up, and he would be painting. I had a sister and we would draw while he painted.”

In fact, Mabel’s father, Roscoe Lovett, was a well-known artist in his home state of Arkansas. He had a farm but also painted beautiful landscapes.

As a child, Mabel and her sister would sometimes paint along side him. But it wasn’t until after she had married, raised her children and they had graduated from college, that Mabel really got interested in painting.

“I tried to do a picture one afternoon and I liked it. I didn’t do very well, but I started taking art lessons,” Mabel said.

Mabel took classes at the Johnson City, Tenn. senior citizens center, and from there she honed her craft.

She specializes in birds, flowers and landscapes — painting large scale watercolors to small scenes on postcards.

Mabel was born in Seattle, Wash. but moved to Arkansas as a child.

As an adult, she lived in Memphis and Johnson City, Tenn., where her husband worked as vice president in charge of ice cream mixes for a local dairy.

After her husband passed away about 15 years ago, Mabel moved to Corbin, where her son Robert L. Taylor and his wife Barbara live. At that time, she shared a home with her son and daughter-in-law, and had time to develop children’s stories. One of those stories was “A Lizard’s Perspective of a Hiding Place,” in which Mable wrote about a pesky lizard that she couldn’t get out of her house.

Recently, Mabel’s depiction of a winter scene for a Christmas card contest won her a $25 gift certificate to Wal-Mart through Christian Care Communities, where she now resides.

“I was tickled to death,” she said of the award. “I like it here and I have more friends than when I lived in Johnson City. I think it’s good.”

Mabel has glaucoma, a disease of the eye that can gradually steal one’s vision.

It hasn’t stopped Mabel from painting. On Wednesdays, a friend comes by Mabel’s apartment and they spend the afternoon painting together.

Her works can also be purchased at Alan Gallery on Main Street.

“She’s just got her own unique style,” said gallery owner Rod Alan Taylor. “And really, she does very well, but for her, it’s the joy of painting... I’ve told her, whether she wants to continue selling or not, keep painting. When you get older, as soon as you set back and start doing nothing, that’s when your mind and body will start going down hill.”

Mabel doesn’t just stay busy with painting. Up until about six months ago, she was still driving. She’s a member of First Baptist Church of Corbin, and is a member of the Corbin Garden Club. She also likes to read and play bridge.

“I really like painting, and I’m so glad because it’s something to keep me interested, and it’s something I can do,” she said. “Whenever I sell one (a painting) that perks me up a little bit.”

Samantha Swindler can be reached at sswindler@thetimestribune.com

“A Lizard’s Perspective of the Hiding Place”

By Mabel Taylor

Little Johnny went by Ms. Mabel’s house on his way home from school to get a piece of her delicious chocolate cake. As he went through the door, I followed close behind, but no one noticed my entrance. I wandered around getting my bearings, then rested awhile under the piano. Soon I noticed the warm sunshine coming through the glass doors, and I decided to curl up on the small oriental carpet and soak up some of the sunshine.

Well, my hostess or landlord or whatever you would call her decided to walk over to the window and get a little sunshine herself. I had seen her several times sit in the desk chair and enjoy the sun there by the door. I was so scared. I thought I would remain real still, and maybe she wouldn’t notice me. I had never been seen before. I was wrong. She left the room and came back with a broom. She brought it down hard, right on the floor where I had been. I was quick as a flash and got under the piano before she could strike me.

She didn’t give up. She went to the kitchen and got a yardstick and ran it under the piano and pushed me out the right end. Before she could come down again, I was safe under the piano. The piano, a Cable Nelson, was too heavy for her to move, so I was safe again. That was a perfect hiding place.

I enjoyed being there all winter staying good and warm. She, being by herself, ate most of her meals from a chair in the living room so she could enjoy the news, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. I also enjoyed listing to the programs. Even though she was careful not to drop crumbs, there were usually enough to feed me, along with the spiders and ants. I would exercise by running from the piano down behind the love seat, a washstand and another chair to the fireplace. Along the way, you could see where I had been to the bathroom, which she hadn’t noticed until after she first saw me. A few times she would hear a slight noise, which she thought was the wind and never got up to investigate.

This morning I heard her praying and asking God how she could get rid of me. Would a mousetrap do, or a suction on her vacuum draw? I guess He answered her prayer because today was a different day.

I was sunning on my usual place on the rug, all curled up when she came. She spotted me immediately and went after the broom. Like a nut, I thought maybe she hadn’t noticed me, so I didn’t move. I was wrong. She slammed the broom down on me, but I got out. She did it again, and I almost got back under the piano, but here she came again.

She finally rolled up the rug, opened the door and swept me out the door. I was so stunned. I lay there a few seconds and was able to move into the mint bed where I could join my fellow lizards. It was good to be back in my own habitat, although I did enjoy my stay at 3 Woodspointe the winter of ’97.

        

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